Chapter Twenty-Six
They walked towards the door leading out of the ballroom, reaching a set of stairs that led up to the upper deck of the ship, Lydia let out a scream of delight, as Drake pulled her up into her arms carrying her bridal style up the stairs to their cabin on deck. Lydia wrapped her arms around Drake pulling him in closer to her, inhaling his masculine scent, he always smelt so intoxicating.
The photography crew was on the upper deck already taking pictures of the cruise ship, when they spotted Drake and Lydia coming up the stairs, they turned their attention over to them, taking a multitude of pictures, capturing the young couple’s moment of happiness. “This picture is amazing,” Josie squealed in delight, to her coworker, her publicist was going to love this photo. She’d captured a beautiful moment between Drake and Lydia, he was holding her tightly against him, a smile plastered on his face as he gazed lovingly into her eyes, her arms were hooked around his neck, and she ran her fingers through his hair, that had grown a bit longer than the short business professional cut Drake normally sported. Lydia had a look of adoration on her face as she gazed into Drake’s eyes.
The couple seemingly unaware of the photographers lost in each other’s gazes walked over to the main cabins, Drake selected the one on the port side of the ship, taking his key from his back pocket, while still holding Lydia tightly. Once the door was open he carried her over the threshold before slowly putting her down, keeping his hand on her waist.
“Wow,” Lydia whispered, her mouth slightly dropping open. “This is amazing.”
The cabin was a grand and luxurious space, dwarfing Lydia's small apartment. As they stepped inside, she was immediately greeted by the sight of a modern and fully equipped kitchenette, complete with an elegant espresso machine on the countertop and a full wine rack beside it, showcasing wines that she had never even heard of before. Moving further into the cabin, she entered a cozy sitting room adorned with a small gas fireplace. Above it hung a sleek television, while a plush loveseat sat against the back wall facing towards the screen. And there, hanging proudly above the loveseat, was one of her mother's favorite pieces of artwork - a stunning painting by Picasso titled "Girl before a Mirror."
Lydia felt the tears falling from her eyes before she could stop them.
“Lydia,” Drake said, wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling her in tightly for a hug, “What’s wrong beautiful?”
“Oh it’s nothing,” Lydia said sniffling and wiping the tears away from her eyes, “This painting, it just reminds me of my mom, She would have loved it. It’s one of her favorites by Picasso.”
Drake sympathized with Lydia, knowing how crucial her relationship with her mother was to her. It was her mother's injuries that led Lydia to become an escort, which ultimately led Drake to meet her. The thought of never meeting her and missing out on their connection pained him. He couldn't pinpoint when or how it happened, but Lydia had managed to capture a special place in his heart, and his feelings for her continued to intensify each day.
“Then she shall have the painting,” He said smiling down at Lydia.
Lydia started to protest, stating it was too expensive, and he didn’t need to, but Drake silenced her by placing a soft kiss brief kiss on her lips. “That’s what friends are for.”
Lydia's tongue darted out, licking her lower lip where Drake had kissed her, she was stunned into silence. No one had ever given her a gift just because, and this gift meant the world to her. Her mother and she had always talked about this painting and discussed what it meant to them and what they saw in the picture.
As Lydia gazed at the painting, she couldn’t help but see herself in the woman depicted. The canvas displayed a figure studying her own reflection in a mirror, revealing a darker version of herself. This oil painting was one of Picasso’s famous depictions of his beloved mistress, who also served as his muse.
Lydia felt the urge to throw her arms around Drake and kiss him passionately, but she resisted. She didn’t want to be lost in the throws of passion and lust. She needed to remain level-headed and remind herself that this situation is only temporary. Lydia and Drake stood there staring at each other quietly, a nervous energy in the air. Drake’s phone began to ring, and he pulled it out looking at the caller ID. It was his PI he’d hired to track down Amelia, if he was calling so soon, it must be something important.
“I have to take this,” Drake said gesturing to his phone, before he walked out to the private patio in their cabin. Lydia continued to wander around taking in the beauty of their room on the cruise ship.